Lights, camera, cash flow! Has Netflix orchestrated a strategic financial facelift by cutting back on its starring role in the Netflix debt drama, and is now gliding towards a blockbuster finale that has investors applauding?
in Free Cash Flow
Decrease in Total Debt
Increase in Net Operating Cash Flow
Netflix has become an integral part of our lives. From “Stranger Things” to “The Crown”, Netflix’s original content keeps us hooked, episode after episode.
But did you know that behind the scenes, there’s another kind of drama unfolding—one that involves managing billions of dollars, financial risks, and strategic moves detailed in the Netflix annual report?
260 million. That’s the number of subscribers Netflix has amassed since 2013.
This success, however, comes with a significant price tag. In less than a decade, Netflix has borrowed more than $16 billion to spur growth. Even with all that's going on, the company has kept a friendly Netflix balance sheet, keeping investors happy while also chasing further growth.
That’s exactly what we’re here to do with this article: take a tour through the health of Netflix’s treasury, the driving force behind its growth engine.
To be more specific, we’ve analyzed Netflix’s financial data from 2019 to 2023. We’ve examined:
To provide a comprehensive understanding of Netflix’s position, we’ve compared its performance against other powerhouses in the Entertainment and Mass Media industry, namely Comcast, Walt Disney, and Paramount Pictures. Together, these four entities are the world’s four most valuable media companies.
Our first point of analysis is Netflix’s Free Cash Flow (FCF), a key indicator that will shed light on the comparison between its Net Operating Cash Flow and Capital Expenditure.
A critical indicator of financial stability, FCF reveals the amount of cash left after a company has paid its expenses. Over the past five years, Netflix’s average FCF has been $1.44 billion, trailing the industry average of $5.33 billion.
At first glance, this might suggest a lag in Netflix’s cash-generating capabilities. However, a year-by-year analysis reveals a more nuanced picture.
In 2019, Netflix’s FCF was in the red at -$3.14 billion. By 2023, it had made a dramatic turnaround to $6.93 billion. This remarkable shift can be credited to a substantial rise in Net Operating Cash Flow, while Capital Expenditure remained relatively stagnant.
But, what’s driving this rise? Let’s explore:
Three initiatives have led the net operating cash flow to rise:
Having examined Netflix’s Free Cash Flow (FCF) trends, let’s now explore its debt trends. For many years, debt was a significant source of capital that was driving the company’s growth.
Netflix’s financial trajectory over the past five years presents a fascinating case study of strategic debt management.
In 2020, Netflix reached its highest level of Netflix debt at $18.5 billion. This money was borrowed to support its growth plans and to finance its operational expenses, including the creation of entertainment content, salaries, rent, and promotional activities.
However, by 2023, this figure had been trimmed to $16.9 billion, suggesting a tactical shift away from debt-driven growth. What’s particularly interesting is that, in 2023, the total debt has been reduced to $16.97 billion from $18.5 billion in 2020—a decrease of 8.28%.
This evolution, as showcased in the Netflix annual report, combined with the steady increase in sales revenue—from $27 billion in 2019 to $29.65 billion in 2023—paints a picture of a company that’s not just growing but also becoming more financially sustainable.
In short, Netflix’s evolving debt management suggests a strategic recalibration. What’s likely to trigger this shift? Let’s dig deep.
Single word answer: growth.
The content industry is capital-intensive. For example, a series like “Stranger Things”, which is fully financed and owned by Netflix, has a production cost of up to $8 million for each episode. Considering the hundreds of hours of original content that Netflix creates every year, the cost starts to add up significantly.
This led to a situation known as “negative Free Cash Flow” up until 2019, where the company was spending more than it was earning. Netflix bridged this gap by increasing its borrowing.
With this in mind, let’s examine Netflix’s liquidity and solvency ratios to understand its capacity to repay its short and long-term debt, and explore any strategies or events that have prompted Netflix to invest, divest, or curtail growth.
Netflix’s current ratio, which signifies a company’s ability to cover its short-term debts, fluctuated between 0.9 and 1.25 from 2019 to 2023. Despite this mild inconsistency, the ratio’s average of 1.078 over the five years remained remarkably close to the industry average of 1.079.
However, the Netflix debt-to-equity ratio tells an even more compelling story. This ratio experienced a consistent decrease—from 1.97 in 2019 to 0.71 in 2023, as highlighted in the latest Netflix balance sheet. This decrease signals a movement towards a less leveraged and more equity-financed structure.
But let’s dig a bit deeper into ‘the why’ of this inconsistency:
In 2019 and 2021, Netflix’s current ratio fell below the ideal value. This decrease can be attributed to current liabilities surpassing current assets.
Current Ratio= (Current Liabilities/Current Assets)
Primary reason? Due to aggressive content and production financing and an expansion in the gaming vertical.
The debt-to-equity ratio gauges a company’s financial leverage by comparing its total liabilities to its shareholder equity. For Netflix, this ratio experienced a consistent decrease—from 1.97 in 2019 to 0.71 in 2023, indicating a movement towards a less leveraged and more equity-financed structure.
Netflix’s investments in content, while considerable, have a silver lining. It is building a competitive moat aimed at attracting more subscribers.
Moreover, major initiatives undertaken by leadership to increase net operating cash flow are yielding results. These efforts have led to a staggering 1751% increase in net operating cash flow – from $393 million in 2021 to $7.2 billion in 2023.
Looking ahead, Netflix’s financial strategies, as outlined in the Netflix annual report, indicate a focus on building long-term value. By reducing its reliance on debt and bolstering its cash flows, Netflix is paving the way for sustained success in the competitive streaming industry.
As Netflix continues to navigate the financial landscape of the streaming industry, it will be interesting to watch how these financial strategies further fuel its growth in the coming years.
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